Becomes very majestic with age. One of the most shade tolerant trees we grow. Part of the climax beech-maple forests in Indiana. Native beech trees are within a few miles of the west side of Lake Michigan all the way to Door County. Spectacular smooth gray bark, though people tend to carve their names on it! Outstanding golden-yellow fall color. I have tried growing this tree in the field and it has done very poorly. I moved three of them into a staghorn sumac thicket and they grew 2 feet in one year! We now grow them in 5-gallon containers under shade.

Environment:  Xeric  Dry/Mesic  Mesic  Wet/Mesic  Hydric

Exposure:  Shade  Part Shade  Morning Sun  Full Sun

Bloom Period:  Spring  Summer  Fall